The Spanish golfer Jon Rahm returns to action in the home tournament, the Spanish Open, after a week he described as the most mentally challenging of his career, during the Ryder Cup in New York. Rahm is in Madrid with the aim of conquering his fourth title at the Spanish Open, which would allow him to surpass Seve Ballesteros as the most successful golfer in the tournament since the creation of the European circuit in 1972. Two weeks ago, Rahm contributed to Europe’s victory at the Ryder Cup in the United States, where the home crowd displayed hostile behavior towards the European players.
In Bethpage Black, Rahm teamed up with Tyrrell Hatton, and both were among the Europeans most pointed out by the New York public. Rahm reported that he heard everything from the American fans and that “with the sale of alcohol [very early], at 9 in the morning things were already out of control.”That week in New York was mentally the toughest of my career, but at the same time it was the most fun I’ve had. What happened there during those three days was something inhospitable. Sometimes I couldn’t believe it.
Jon Rahm
Rahm highlighted that the result couldn’t have been better, as Europe secured the victory to retain the trophy won two years ago in Rome. The Spanish golfer commented that it will be difficult to surpass that week, possibly at the 2031 Ryder Cup in Spain, which will be more special for him than for anyone else. This will be Rahm’s seventh participation in Madrid, where he has already won in 2018, 2019 and 2022. Last year he finished in second place, after losing in a playoff against fellow Spaniard Ángel Hidalgo. Ballesteros won the last of his 50 titles on the European circuit at the Spanish Open in 1995. In this year’s edition, the Spanish Open will offer for the first time an automatic spot for the Masters and the Open Championship next year to the winner. Rahm and Sergio García, winner of the Spanish Open in 2002, are some of the LIV players who will participate. Also present this week will be Patrick Reed, Joaquin Niemann and Shane Lowry, who made the decisive putt for Europe in the Ryder Cup. Also, the 50th anniversary of the legendary Arnold Palmer’s victory in the tournament, which took place in 1975, is celebrated.It could be compared to football, but then you have the noise of 50,000 people and you don’t really hear what each person is saying. In my case, every step I took I could hear everything.
Jon Rahm
